*Question:* In my diary i wrote yesterday that if i have only one more day to live and look back at my life I felt nothing is achieved in my life so far neither spiritually nor materially.
While driving to satsangh yesterday thoughts were running through my mind on what is the true purpose of life and how does one fulfill it? at the time of death one should one do a true reflection of life.
*Answer:* Steve jobs toward the end of his life wrote in his journal there is so much to achieve in life and I have not done anything so far. This is the case with everyone, regardless. That is the way of life. Life is a endless journey, one is always looking forward, whatever is achieved looses its significance as its done, completed.
Death is inevitable and life is always looking forward. Hence according all spiritual/religious teachings talk about life after death.
Coming to the question of purpose , life has no purpose, i do not think when god manifested this universe and life did create with any purpose. It is futile to think life has some purpose.
Natural aspect of life is its evolution because it recognizes subtlest and deepest inner need to reach the stage of its maker. Life is wanting, craving to dissolve into its maker and loose its identity.
Buddha said life is suffering. Our inner is trying to loose its identity to become one with its maker and external life is trying to make more and more identities. Hence is a conflict in our life's approach, this conflict is the one creating the suffering. Meaning we are resisting the evolution of life.
All scriptures talk about restraining some aspects in life, asking us to be desireless, develop non attachment .. etc.. etc. A logical mind concludes this means we have to negate or discard all desires and attachments. Negation only makes us stone like , it shrinks our consciousness. Where is as the true meaning of evolution of life is expanding in all dimensions., because GOD(paramatman) is omniscient. But how do we feel such aspect which is in existence and non existence at the same time. Meaning its not available to human sense in any which way. That is why our seers have said it Neti-Neti. Means neither this nor that. Some philosophers assumed that to achieve god one must negate everything. But that which we are attempting to negate is only according to our perception and this kind of negation does not add any value. Its a very devolutionary approach.
So the right thing or attitude to develop first, that which needs to be reached the destiny is already with us. Its just that we have to evolve out of our current state of perception. That is what all spiritual sadhana is about, to become free; This freedom is very simple and easy to achieve by meditating on that which is always with us, it is our essence of existence. With the aid of pranahuti by the guru where he is elevating our conciseness to this divine consciousness which helps us to develop this inner identity, the identity with paramatman or atman(soul). Then we are in true advita oneness.
That basically means the conflict is removed, now we are truly participating with the lifes nature to evolve. Means the conflict is is removed, means sufferring is also removed; The entire being is filled with JOY as this is the nature of the atman(soul) as now we are coming in contact with the soul with complete awareness.
True reflection as Babuji suggested should be done everyday before we go to bed. True reflection at the time of death serves no purpose. The available life is very important to utilize it by participating in its nature which is evolution, that is what babuji saying being in tune with nature.
Here are some practical tips for better spiritual and material life.
To grow materially, consistent work is required. In our ashram in chennai a gardener munu samy , i always admired that guy, very much engaged in his work with full of heart and vigor. There is so much joy in his face. Fulfilling our day to day duties with confidence and consistency makes us skillful in what we are doing, removes lot of stress.
Maintenance of health as much as possible, but at some point old age takes over that is the nature of the body
Consistency in spiritual sadhana(practice) and developing right understanding. You should listen to what Daaji spoke about today, become authentic; Instead of becoming authentic we become dogmatic and this gives us a false illusion that we are becoming spiritual. Developing the right understanding is the key; We lack this understanding because we mystify our gurus, mystify the whole aspect of spirituality , assuming it to be something other than our material life.
Spirituality is all integration, inclusive to create the true freedom in our hearts to develop oneness with the higher essence.